


pull me tight and close your eyes

by fraudulentzodiacs



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Idiots in Love, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:02:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29803332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fraudulentzodiacs/pseuds/fraudulentzodiacs
Summary: “Absolutely not.”Tyler throws himself across the cool gray granite of Jamie’s kitchen countertop, pressing his cheek against it so he can stare at Jamie with his best puppy dog eyes.“C’mon, Chubbs! Don’t make me go to this wedding alone.”“I’ll go to the wedding with you.” Jamie sighs, throwing his hands up. “What I don’t understand is why you want me to pretend to be yourboyfriend.”
Relationships: Jamie Benn/Tyler Seguin
Comments: 12
Kudos: 112





	pull me tight and close your eyes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flintsjohn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flintsjohn/gifts).



> For the lovely, wonderful Mich on her birthday!

“Absolutely not.”

Tyler throws himself across the cool gray granite of Jamie’s kitchen countertop, pressing his cheek against it so he can stare at Jamie with his best puppy dog eyes.

“C’mon, Chubbs! Don’t make me go to this wedding alone.”

“I’ll go to the wedding with you.” Jamie sighs, throwing his hands up. “What I don’t understand is why you want me to pretend to be your  _ boyfriend _ .”

“Because my cousins are the  _ worst _ , and if I don’t show up with someone, they’ll spend the entire weekend trying to set me up with a bridesmaid.”

“You’ve never seemed to mind that before.” Jamie points out, and that has Tyler straightening, shrugging as he stares down at the countertop instead.

“I just…that was before, y’know. When I was young and stupid.”

“You’re still young and stupid.” Tyler very maturely sticks his tongue out at that.

“I’m just not interested in a weekend fling or whatever. I’m tired of that, I want something real, and my cousins aren’t going to get that.”

“And you think the solution is to…pretend you have something real?”

“It’ll at least keep them off my back. C’mon, it’ll be fun. We get a quick vacation, good food, a couple days on the beach, free alcohol, and then when we get back, I’ll tell them you dumped me.”

Tyler watches expectantly as Jamie processes, clearly trying to find a way to say no to Tyler, but he hasn’t successfully done it in the eight years they’ve known each other, and Tyler doesn’t think he’s going to start now.

“You’re paying for my flight.” Jamie points his finger at Tyler, and Tyler fist pumps in victory.

The resort is nice, the wedding party secluded in a series of villas and suites at one end, their own pool and private beach at their disposal. Lainey had sent him a series of chastising text messages when the resort had told her the entire party had been upgraded, but she was his favorite cousin and if he couldn’t use his money to make sure she and Rachel had the wedding of their dreams, what good was it?

“Tyler!” Lainey’s voice carries across the lobby, and seconds later he has his arms full of tan skin and blonde hair.

“Hey, Lains.”

“I’m so glad you’re here.” Tyler sets her down gently and her beaming smile has Tyler grinning back just as hard.

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

“Who’s this?” She asks, gesturing over Tyler’s shoulder, and he doesn’t have to turn his head to sense Jamie stepping up behind him.

“This is Jamie.” Tyler introduces. “My boyfriend.” The word feels foreign on his tongue, but Lainey doesn’t miss a beat, just sticks her hand out to greet him. Jamie takes it smoothly, returning her ‘nice to meet you’ with one of his own.

“After you guys get settled in your room, let’s have dinner. I’m dying for you to meet Rach.”

“Yeah, for sure, I’ll text you.” Tyler promises, and then watches as Lainey flounces off in the direction of the bar.

“She seems nice.” Jamie tells him after they turn toward the villas the concierge had directed them toward.

“She’s the best.” Tyler replies. “She was the first person I came out to as bi, back before I was even drafted.”

“Did you know that she…?”

“Was gay? No, that was a surprise. She came out at Christmas a few years ago after one of our uncles made a comment about-“ Tyler cuts himself off and shakes his head.

“Comment about what?”

“He’s old school, y’know? Doesn’t think there should be queer people in the league. It’s not a big deal-“

“It is.” Jamie insists as they open the doors leading out to the outdoor walkway, the villas splintering off in various directions. There’s a bellhop waiting for them, who takes Tyler’s keycard and leads them down one of corridors.

“Anyway, in the middle of dinner Lainey started talking – very loudly – about her girlfriend while staring across the table at him. Shut him up pretty quickly.”

“I like her already.” Jamie grins, and Tyler elbows him in the side.

“Here’s your villa.” The bellhop unlocks the door then hands the key back to Tyler and opens the door for them. The interior is clean and modern, all whites and blues and grays, with a bay of windows on the far side giving an unobstructed view of the ocean.

“This is the living area,” the bellhop continues. “And the bedroom and bathroom are through the door on the right.”

“Where’s the second bedroom?” Jamie asks.

“I’m sorry?” The bellhop raises an eyebrow, then Tyler feels two sets of eyes on him. He feels frozen and realizes in that moment that he forgot to change his reservation.

“Uh…”

“Segs?”

“Sorry?” He offers, and cringes when Jamie sighs and stares up at the ceiling.

“Thank you for your help.” Jamie tells the bellhop after a long moment and presses a bill into his hand.

“Of course, sir. Have a wonderful stay.” He scurries out, and the door closes quietly behind him.

“I forgot to change the reservation, I’m so-“

“It’s fine.” Jamie waves it off.

“I can sleep on the couch.” Tyler offers.

“Don’t be stupid, Segs. We can share, it’s no big deal.” He throws open the bedroom door to reveal a king-sized bed.

“If you’re sure.”

“It’s fine.” Jamie assures him. “I’m going to take a nap before dinner.”

“Sure.” Tyler looks back at the living room. “I’m going to watch some TV.”

Tyler texts Lainey once Jamie wakes up, and she tells him to meet them in an hour at the tapas restaurant in the resort’s main building. Jamie had been in sweats and a worn Stars t-shirt when they’d arrived, and Tyler feels his throat go a little dry when he steps out into the living room in a soft white button-up and loose khakis. For once, his hair isn’t slicked back by an entire bottle of gel. Instead it’s fluffy and falling softly across Jamie’s forehead and…well, Tyler had accepted a long time ago that his best friend was a smokeshow, but it was one thing to  _ know _ that and a whole other thing to have it standing in front of him and knowing he’d have to play the devoted boyfriend all night.

“You, uh…” Tyler clears his throat. “You ready?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Tyler’s calmed himself down by the time they get to the restaurant, but the moment he spots Lainey and Rachel Jamie takes his hand, threads their fingers together, and Tyler momentarily forgets how to breathe.

“Ty!” Lainey greets, jumping up to hug him. The woman next to her stands up as well, and once Lainey lets go of him to hug Jamie, she sticks her hand out to greet Tyler.

“Nice to finally meet you.” She tells him, and Tyler takes a moment to take her in. She’s shorter than Lainey, with short red hair and piercing blue eyes that feel like they’re boring into Tyler. She’s got sleeves on both arms, intricate and beautiful, the polar opposite from Lainey in every way possible.

“Nice to meet you, too.”

“This is Tyler’s boyfriend, Jamie.” Lainey introduces, and when Jamie untangles their fingers to shake her hand it’s only then that Tyler realizes they hadn’t let go.

They sit, and he tries not to lean into it when Jamie wraps an arm around the back of his chair, but then he thinks  _ that’s what a boyfriend does _ and lets himself relax against Jamie’s side. They order drinks, and they’re halfway through the first round of food when Lainey sets her drink down and stares across the table at them.

“So,” she begins. “You guys have played together for a long time. Is this new?”

“Uh…” Tyler looks to Jamie. He hadn’t thought to get their story straight,  _ stupid stupid stupid _ he thinks.

“Officially? Yes.” Jamie saves him, just like he always does. “But I think there’s been something there for a long time.” He looks over to Tyler, and his fond smile is so genuine that even Tyler’s momentarily convinced.

“That’s so sweet.” Lainey coos, and Tyler looks away from Jamie.

“How did you two meet?” Jamie deflects, and Tyler can see Lainey light up and grin at Rachel.

“We were on opposite teams in the league we play in back home.”

“You play?” Jamie asks, and they both nod.

“Lainey’s a winger.” Tyler supplies, and he watches Jamie sit up a little straighter.

“Yeah, and Rachel plays defense. So, we’re playing this team, and no matter what I do I can’t get around this player, y’know? I was so frustrated, nothing was going through, so I…”

“She high-sticked me.” Rachel supplies, and Jamie’s laugh is booming as he throws his head back.

“Got sent to the box, but it was worth it.” Lainey smiles and reaches across to take Rachel’s hand. “She was waiting for me outside of the locker room after the game, asked me out on the spot.”

“And we’ve been together ever since.” Rachel supplies.

“You two are so cute, I think I might be sick.” Tyler chirps.

“You’re just jealous because your meet-cute with your guy isn’t as good.” Lainey shoots back.

“I was traded and found the love of my life on my new team, that’s super romantic!” Tyler argues, and feels Jamie stiffen next to him. He pulls away from Jamie’s side, realizing he’d slowly leaned closer and closer until he was pressed completely against him. It’s just enough to put some space between them, but he freezes when Jamie moves his arm and slides his fingers through Tyler’s hair.

“I think it’s perfect.” Jamie tells Lainey and Rachel, and Tyler looks over and finds Jamie watching him with something completely unreadable on his face.

Tyler feels his stomach twist and looks away.

Tyler wants to apologize when they get back to their villa, for making Jamie uncomfortable, for forgetting to change his reservation, for inviting Jamie in the first place. He’d been selfish, and Jamie’s going to have to deal with pushy and invasive questions about their nonexistent relationship for the next three days because of it. He tries, opens his mouth to get the words out, but they just won’t come. Instead, he just trails behind Jamie as they change, brush their teeth, a routine so familiar after years on the road together. Jamie looks even softer in a pair of flannel pajamas and a t-shirt, sitting out on the balcony watching the inky ocean.

“It’s beautiful here.” Jamie says, his back to Tyler but obviously aware of his presence just like he always is on the ice.

“It is.”

“We should come back here, bring the guys.”

“Sure.” Tyler suddenly has the urge to tell him no, that he wants to keep this place for them, but that’s stupid and he pushes it down.

“What do we have to do tomorrow?”

“My mom and sisters will get here in the afternoon, but we don’t have anything official until the rehearsal dinner at seven.”

“What did you tell your family?”

“About?”

“Us?” Jamie asks, like it’s obvious, which…it is, Tyler realizes.

“I, uh, didn’t tell them anything.” Tyler shrugs.

“Tyler…”

“Look, this was very last minute!”

“Uh-huh.”

“We can tell them the truth; I won’t make you suffer anymore.”

“It’s not…” Jamie starts, then shakes his head. “No, it’ll be easier to keep it straight if we have the same story for everyone. Plus, your sisters will never let you live it down if they know the truth.”

Tyler groans and leans into Jamie’s space, dropping his head on his shoulder. “Ugh, you’re right. They can never know.”

“Never.” Jamie agrees, and bounces Tyler’s head as he laughs.

The bed thing should probably be weird, but…well, Tyler figures that they’ve always had a weird friendship – their current situation is proof enough. So, instead, they slide into bed together like it’s something they do every day. Tyler takes the side closest to the windows, Jamie the side by the bathroom, and they’re in bed but there’s a respectable amount of space between them.

“Night, Segs.” Jamie tells him, his voice already heavy because he can fall asleep anywhere between one breath and the next.

“Night, Chubbs.”

Tyler is sure he’ll flip flop for hours, but Jamie’s out like a light almost immediately. His breaths are deep and even, and Tyler doesn’t stop himself from turning to watch him. His back is to Tyler, but it’s easy enough to make out his broad shoulders in the dark, so familiar to Tyler that he could probably find Jamie blind. He has the strangest urge to reach out, to run his hands over the familiar muscles.

The thought shocks him, because yeah, he’s always been aware that Jamie’s an absolute rocket – especially once he cut his hair and got some tattoos and learned how to dress – but he’s never…he hasn’t…he has never wanted to….he’s never  _ wanted _ Jamie. Not like this, not where he’s wanted to close the space between them, to bury his face in the back of Jamie’s neck and breathe him in. He shakes it off and turns away, facing the windows and not Jamie’s inviting back.

The next thing he knows, the sun is peeking through the windows, filling the room with soft light and warmth. A lot of warmth, Tyler thinks, like a heated blanket. He shuffles, tries to pull away from the heat, but is frozen by a groan and the arms around his waist pulling him in closer.

“Mmm.” Jamie mumbles into the skin of his neck, his lips like a brand on Tyler’s skin. He’s pressing everywhere against Tyler’s back, solid and so good, their legs tangled together and…yeah, Tyler thinks, that’s definitely Jamie’s morning wood pressing against the small of his back. That wakes Tyler up fully, and he wiggles until he’s finally free of Jamie’s hold.

“Hngh?” Jamie grumbles as Tyler practically falls out of the bed. He turns and stuffs his pillow into Jamie’s arms and grins when he clutches it to his chest.

“Go back to sleep, Jam.” He orders him quietly, and Jamie’s back under before he’s finished the sentence. Tyler watches him for a long, totally not creepy second before tiptoeing to the bathroom so he can take a shower and rub one out in peace.

By the time he’s done, the bed is empty, and he can smell coffee and maybe bacon. He slips on some fresh pajamas and follows the smell to the living room. Jamie’s seated at the small dining table, scrolling on his phone, and he looks…ridiculous, really. Tyler’s kind of obsessed with this whole fluffy hair business Jamie’s got going on during this trip, especially now that he clearly hasn’t touched it since he woke up.

“Morning.” He greets and isn’t surprised when Jamie just grunts and doesn’t look up from his phone. There’s a fresh pot of coffee waiting on a room service tray, along with an assortment of bacon, sausage, eggs, fruit, and pastries. He grabs a cup and pours a cup for himself before reaching over and grabbing Jamie’s nearly empty one and refilling it. Jamie raises an eyebrow as he hands it back, and Tyler shrugs.

“You’re not functional until at least two cups.” He points out, then drops a sugar cube and a splash of milk in his own drink.

“Do you want to hit the beach?” He asks once breakfast is done and returned to the tray the resort had provided.

“Sure.” Jamie shrugs.

The private beach is just that – completely deserted this early in the morning, though Tyler had shot a text to Lainey inviting her and Rachel to join them if they were free. They settle on two chairs close to the water, Jamie with a book and Tyler with a playlist of podcasts on his phone that he’s been meaning to catch up on.

It’s peaceful, the silence between them comfortable, but Tyler can’t stop drifting back to the night before, to the way it had felt to wake up in Jamie’s arms. He’s freaking out, he knows, but it had felt… _ right _ , is the only way Tyler can think to describe it. He wants to reach out, wants to touch Jamie again, really get his hands on his skin instead of just thinking about it. He glances over at Jamie when the other man isn’t looking, takes him in as he reads his book. He’s hot, Tyler’s always known that, but he’s also…he’s the best person Tyler knows, if he’s honest. He’s awkward and funny and grumpy and kind and a good teammate and a great captain and he’s basically Tyler’s favorite person.

But, Tyler reasons, he  _ is _ Tyler’s teammate, his captain, his best friend, and there’s never been any indication that Jamie sees him as anything more than a friend. This weekend, it’s just Jamie being a good friend, doing him a favor because Tyler is stupid and bullied him into pretending to be his boyfriend and now…

Now Tyler wants him to  _ actually _ be his boyfriend.

His sisters and mom arrive while they’re baking in the midday sun, and Tyler sees Candace and Cassidy coming across the beach and offers to help them drag two more chairs next to his and Jamie’s.

“Hey, I need to tell you guys something.” He says quietly as they bend over the set of chairs they’re going to drag over. “Jamie and I are, uh, we’re dating. Boyfriends.”

He looks up to both of them staring at him, then each other, then Cassidy lets out a booming laugh that has Tyler cringing and checking for Jamie over his shoulder.

“It’s about fucking time.” Candace replies while slapping Cassidy in the arm.

“What?” Tyler almost drops the chair he’s carrying.

“You’ve been crazy about him for years.” Candace replies, her tone chastising like it should be obvious.

“Wha-no I haven’t!”

“You have.” Cassidy agrees as they start pulling the chairs.

“We’re happy you finally figured your shit out.” Candace adds.

“Thanks.” Tyler grumbles, then drops the chairs and collapses back into his own.

“Hey, future brother-in-law.” Cassidy tells Jamie, because she’s fucking evil incarnate.

“You told them?” Jamie asks, not looking up from his book.

“Yeah, unfortunately.”

“Hmm.” Jamie replies, but there’s a hint of a smile on his face, and then he reaches across the arms of their chairs and grabs Tyler’s hand, pulling it over until he can rest their joined hands on his thigh. Tyler tries to hide his flushed face in his shoulder while his sisters ooh and ahh over them until Tyler’s threatening to chase them into the water.

They’re not actually in the wedding, so they don’t meet up with the wedding party until after the rehearsal, in a private room set aside for their use. All of the guests have arrived, most of Tyler’s immediate family and what he can only assume are Rachel’s family and their friends. It’s not a huge group, and a few people seem to recognize them, but no one says anything and lets Jamie and Tyler just be another couple at a family wedding.

Because there’s absolutely no doubt that he and Jamie are a couple. Jamie’s the perfect fake boyfriend throughout the night. He’s turned the charm up to 11, doesn’t hang all over Tyler, but he’s always touching Tyler in some way. He holds his hand while they’re walking, or he’s got a hand on Tyler’s back, or his shoulder, or he’s pressing his arm against Tyler’s. He remembers everyone’s names, tells funny stories, and Tyler’s just…in awe. He’d seen Jamie with his ex-girlfriends, he knew that he was really good at the whole boyfriend thing, but to experience it himself is something else entirely. It makes something warm curl in his stomach, makes his mind drift not only to passing fantasies of kissing Jamie, of getting his hands on him, but also to cuddling him on the couch of the villa – of his apartment back in Dallas – of going on dates and holding his hand in his car, of taking him back to Ontario and then going to see Victoria like he’s always secretly wanted to.

He thinks about Jamie being his.

“Oh, god.” Tyler groans late into the evening.

“What?” Jamie turns back from listening to Rachel’s brother tell a story about Rachel breaking his collarbone during pond hockey and watches Tyler.

“Uncle Eric.” Tyler replies, nodding his head toward his uncle, chatting with his mom a few feet away.

“Is that  _ the _ uncle?” He asks, and Tyler nods.

“Lainey told me she invited him because she had to, but I didn’t think he’d actually come to his niece’s lesbian wedding.”

Jamie doesn’t say anything, and Eric must sense them watching him because he looks away from Tyler’s mom and locks eyes with Tyler. His gaze turns cold, judgmental, but Tyler’s distracted almost immediately but Jamie wrapping an arm around his waist and squeezing his hip until he looks up at him. Tyler’s question dies on his lips when Jamie grasps his jaw and tilts his head up until their lips meet. It’s fairly chaste, as far as kisses go, appropriate for a family event, but it lights Tyler up. He gasps and lets Jamie control the kiss, whimpers slightly when Jamie’s grip on his face tightens. When Jamie starts to pull away, it takes everything in Tyler not to chase his lips, to not climb him and cling to Jamie until he deigns to kiss him again.

“Wha?” Tyler feels a thrum of arousal run through him when Jamie smirks at him.

“Think we pissed him off?”

“Who?” Tyler asks, because he’s pretty sure no one else exists in the universe anymore except for him and Jamie.

“Uncle Homophobia.”

“Oh.” Tyler looks over, and his mom is definitely giving a stern lecture to her brother, who’s red in the face and…right, Jamie kissed him because he wanted to get back at Eric for insulting Tyler years ago, that’s all. “Right, yeah.”

“He doesn’t look happy.” Jamie tone is laced with mirth, and despite the ache it makes something loosen in Tyler’s chest.

The next morning, Tyler wakes curled up with Jamie again, but this time he’s the one wrapped around Jamie like an octopus. Jamie doesn’t seem to mind the fact that Tyler’s clinging to him, and Tyler…Tyler lets himself have this. They only have one more night here, and then it will be back to Dallas and back to normal and if he can’t have Jamie for real, he’s going to pretend this morning. He noses along the skin of Jamie’s neck, feels the scratchiness of his beard and breathes in the scent of Jamie’s soap, the slight tang of saltwater from the beach air. It’s all so good, everything that Tyler didn’t know he wanted.

He pulls away when Jamie starts to stir, and acts like he’s still asleep when Jamie gently pulls away. He only just bites back a gasp when he feels the ghost of Jamie’s fingers along his hairline, brushing it back, and then Jamie climbs off the bed and closes the bathroom door behind him. Tyler flips over and smashes his face into Jamie’s pillow and, yeah, it’s probably creepy as fuck but Tyler falls back asleep almost immediately.

The wedding’s late in the afternoon, so they make plans to meet his mom and sisters for brunch, and Jamie’s just as infuriatingly charming with them as he was with everyone else, and Tyler does his best not to react to the little touches Jamie gives him. He smiles his thanks when Jamie wordlessly picks the cantaloupe out of Tyler’s fruit salad, then does the same to his honeydew and drops them on Tyler’s plate. He returns Jamie’s affections with what he hopes are convincing, lovesick grins.

He feels three sets of eyes on him when Jamie gets up to go to the bathroom, and his sisters look like they’re practically vibrating in their seats, and his mom looks… _ pleased _ is the only way that Tyler can describe it.

“What?” He asks, squirming under their gazes.

“I’m really happy for you, honey.” His mom finally tells him, resting her hand on top of his where he’s fiddling with the tablecloth. “I know you and Jamie were friends for a long time, but you two really seem good for each other.”

“I…” Tyler starts to correct her, to tell her the truth. That Jamie doesn’t  _ really _ love Tyler, that it’s all a ruse because Tyler’s a dumbass and didn’t think any of this through, didn’t think a couple days of pretending to be Jamie’s boyfriend would upend his  _ entire fucking life _ . But, instead, he just stares down at his lap. “Thanks, mom. He’s pretty great.”

“Who’s pretty great?” Jamie asks and he returns to Tyler’s side.

“You.” Candace supplies, and Jamie chuckles. “The perfect boyfriend.”

“Eh, he makes it easy.” Jamie replies, but this time when he reaches over and threads his fingers with Tyler’s, it feels less like a warm comfort and more like Tyler’s burning.

They separate from his family to get ready for the wedding, and Tyler does his best to act normally around Jamie. But then, Jamie comes out of the bedroom dressed in a crisp white shirt, unbuttoned just enough to give Tyler a hint of Jamie’s chest hair, Tyler can’t stop himself from thinking that he wants to skip the ceremony all together in favor of throwing him down on the bed and never letting him back up.

“You look…” Tyler starts, then bites his tongue and shakes his head. Jamie chuckles softly, and when Tyler looks up, he’s smiling at Tyler.

“Gotta be good arm candy, right?”

“Right.”

“I just need to fix my hair and then I’m ready.”

“No,” Tyler reaches out and only just stops himself from pushing Jamie’s hair out of his eyes. “I mean, I like – it looks good like this.”

“You think?”

“Definitely, very beachy.” Tyler assures him, and it’s worth it when Jamie’s face colors so prettily. He wants to press his lips to his rosy cheeks, press his lips elsewhere and see just how red Jamie can get all over.

“You ready?” Jamie asks, pulling Tyler from his thoughts, and he nods shakily and follows Jamie out the door.

Most of the guests are there when they arrive, white chairs lined up neatly on the sand in front of a small, simple altar covered in white fabric. He doesn’t overthink it when he takes Jamie’s hand as they approach his mom and sisters – they’re supposed to be boyfriends, and Jamie has been holding his hand all weekend. Jamie squeezes his hand, just as solid and reassuring as ever, and Tyler doesn’t miss the way his mom’s eyes soften as she takes them in. He feels a pang of guilt, not only because he’s lying to her, but also because it’s going to break her heart when he has to call in a few weeks and tell her that he and Jamie broke up.

“There you two are.” She greets, and Jamie lets her pull him into a hug before she does the same to Tyler.

“We’d wondered if you got…distracted.” Cassidy tells them, waggling her eyebrows, and Tyler punches her gently in the arm with his free hand.

“Shut up.”

“I’m just saying!” She puts her hands up, the picture of innocence.

“If you’ll all be seated please.” The officiant tells the guests, and Tyler and Jamie follow his family to a row near the middle. He’s seated between Jamie and Candace, and he fidgets with the package of tissues that were waiting in his chair while Jamie chats amiably with the people on the other side of him – one of Rachel’s friends, Tyler thinks, and their partner.

“Hey, you okay?” Candace asks quietly.

“Yeah, fine.” Tyler nods. “Just…weddings, y’know?”

“Well, we could be at yours next.” She nudges his side.

“Candace, c’mon.” Tyler groans, and pointedly ignores the way it feels like he’s been punched in the stomach. She looks like she wants to continue, but then the officiant asks them to stand and the wedding party starts to proceed down the aisle.

Tyler watches as Lainey and Rachel’s closest friends walk down arm-in-arm, Rachel following them escorted by Lainey’s brother and best man. Everyone’s attention turns to the end of the aisle where Lainey waits, but Tyler can’t take his eyes off of Rachel, and it’s obvious the moment where she spots Lainey. Everything shifts in her gaze, her eyes locked on her bride and it’s always been Tyler’s favorite part of a wedding – the moment where the bride or groom spots their spouse for the first time. He’d known that Lainey and Rachel were madly in love, but he knows in this moment that his beloved cousin will always be taken care of with her wife.

They sit again once Tyler’s uncle hands Lainey off, and from there it’s a blur. Tyler watches, tries to take it all in, but it’s not until he feels Jamie grab his hand once again that he feels pulled back into the moment. He looks over at Jamie, but he’s watching the ceremony raptly, like he hasn’t even realized that he’s holding Tyler’s hand. Tyler squeezes Jamie’s hand in his own, and he can’t stop the gasp that escapes him when Jamie brings their joined hands up to his lips. His beard tickles the top of Tyler’s hand where Jamie’s lips press into his skin and this is…it’s too much, Tyler can’t handle it. He wants to rip his hand from Jamie’s when he settles their joined hands on Tyler’s thigh, wants to stand up and push out of the row and run back to the resort and get the next flight back home because he  _ can’t handle this _ . His want for Jamie is so sudden and violent that he feels like he might combust from it.

He can’t do that, though, so instead he forces all of his attention on Lainey and Rachel and ignores the way that Jamie doesn’t let go of him for the rest of the ceremony. 

The reception is under a large tent set up near the beach, and it’s more of a raucous party than anything. They’re served dinner, then Lainey and Rachel take their first dance as wives, then the dancefloor opens up and the party starts. It only takes four songs for Lainey to find him and drag him to join the throng of revelers, and Tyler’s a little scared to leave Jamie alone with his mom and sisters, but he waves him off with a smile.

“You’re a married woman.” He tells Lainey as they bounce around to an old Temptations song.

“Crazy, right?” She tells him gleefully, throwing her arms into the air. “And fucking awesome!”

“Fucking awesome.” Tyler agrees.

“You’ll be next.” She tells him, and Tyler shrugs. “Seriously, that guy looks at you like you hung the moon.”

“Maybe.” Tyler settles on, knowing he can’t outright tell her how wrong she is.

“C’mon, Ty, you deserve to feel this kind of happiness.”

“Let’s just focus on you, eh? This is your day.”

“Whatever.” Lainey shakes her head and wraps her arms around Tyler so she can force him to bounce around as violently as she is. He lets her, because he loves her, but also because it’s a distraction from the way his stomach clenches at the thought of Jamie. He glances over and finds Jamie deep in conversation with Cassidy. It makes him freeze, because Jamie looks  _ serious _ and so does his sister, her gaze piercing as she says something pointed to Jamie. He’s already suspicious that she’s giving him the shovel talk, but then Jamie looks away from Cassidy and straight at Tyler and he knows. There’s something intense there, sharp and hot and a little confused and Tyler has to look away or he’s going to bolt.

He lets Lainey lead him through a few more songs until Rachel comes up behind her and wraps her arms around her wife’s waist as the song melts into something slow and romantic.

“My turn, sorry Tyler.” She tells him, and Tyler hands her off. Lainey goes easily enough, her eyes going bright when she steps into Rachel’s embrace. Tyler steps back, glances around and finds couples pairing off, and turns back toward their table when he runs straight into a wall of solid muscle.

“Jamie.” He locks eyes with him, and a small smile breaks out on Jamie’s lips.

“Dance with me?” He asks, already sliding an arm around Tyler’s waist, and…well, it wasn’t like he was going to say no anyway. He takes Jamie’s free hand in his and lets him move them smoothly in a small circle. Tyler sinks into it, wraps an arm around Jamie’s shoulder and tries to regulate his breathing despite the fact that he feels like his heart’s about to beat out of his chest.

“Really trying to sell it, huh?” Tyler jokes as he chokes back the lump growing in his throat because he can’t really have this, and it  _ hurts _ .

“Tyler…” Jamie’s sigh is heavy, and Tyler feels his grip tighten until he looks at him. “You can’t really think…”

“What?” Tyler gives a shaky laugh, stares straight at Jamie’s chest, feels panic fill his veins when he struggles against Jamie’s hold until he realizes that Jamie’s not going to let him go.

“You can’t really think this is still just some dumb fucking lie you told your family. It’s different, you know that.”

“I…” Tyler starts, then feels like his strings have been cut and lets his head crash onto Jamie’s chest. They’re still moving on the dancefloor, he thinks, but he’s pretty sure Jamie’s the only reason he’s still upright. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…I didn’t know…”

“Didn’t know what?”

“That I had feelings for you. I swear, I wouldn’t have asked you if I’d known.”

“Why not?”

Tyler wants to keep his face pressed into Jamie’s shirt, but he forces himself to pull away enough to look at Jamie’s face.

“Because I would never want to make you uncomfortable because you don’t feel the same.” He admits and feels a pang of hurt in his chest when Jamie laughs.

“I don’t?” He asks, then nods his head toward their table. “Then how come Cassidy told me that she had planned on threatening my existence, but she didn’t think she needed to worry because, and I quote, it’s been ‘completely clear for years that you’re in love with my brother’?”

“I…what?” Tyler replies intelligently.

“I love you, moron.” Jamie clarifies.

“Holy shit, really?” Jamie throws his head back at that, a booming laugh, and Tyler…Tyler  _ really _ loves him, it turns out. “Let’s go, right now.”

“What?” Jamie tugs against the death grip that Tyler has around his wrist as he weaves them through the crowd on the dancefloor.

“We’re leaving, right now.”

“Why?”

“Because if I don’t get you alone right the fuck now, I’m going to do something unspeakable in front of my entire family.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” He tells him and pulls them to a stop in front of Lainey and Rachel. “Hey guys, it was a really beautiful wedding and I’m super happy for both of you, but I’m going to go fuck my boyfriend now.”

“Uh…congrats?” Lainey stares at Tyler like he’s grown a second head.

“Cool, awesome. Love you both.” Tyler taps the first bump that Rachel holds out, threads his fingers with Jamie’s once again, and pulls them toward the exit. 


End file.
